What Was The First Search Engine Before Google? | Mashable

Summary

Before Google, the very first search engine was created in 1990 by Alan Emtage, a grad student at McGill University. Emtage built Archie to help locate software for faculty and students by indexing File Transfer Protocol (FTP) sites. Unlike modern search engines, Archie lacked the ability to preview content or handle vague search terms, often leading to unexpected results. Despite its limitations, Archie laid the groundwork for future search engines like Jughead and Veronica, ultimately paving the way for Google and modern search technology.

Takeaways

• 🖥️ The first search engine was created in 1990.
• 🎤 At the time, Mariah Carey had just released her first album and Twin Peaks was popular on TV.
• 👨‍💻 Alan Emtage, a grad student at McGill University, developed the first search engine.
• 📂 Emtage’s creation was named 'Archie,' short for 'archive' without the 'v'.
• 🔍 Archie was designed to search through FTP (File Transfer Protocol) sites for software and files.
• 📁 Unlike Google, Archie couldn’t preview files—you had to download them without knowing exactly what they were.
• ❓ Archie's search functionality was limited, requiring very precise search terms.
• 📚 Two later search engines, Jughead and Veronica, followed Archie.
• 😂 Emtage disliked Archie, the comic book character, which the name inadvertently referenced.
• 🌐 Archie paved the way for future search engines like Google.

Q & A

What was the name of the first search engine and who created it?

The first search engine was called Archie, created by Alan Emtage, a graduate student at McGill University in Montreal.

Why was the search engine named Archie?

The search engine was named Archie as a shortened form of the word 'archive,' representing its function as an archive of File Transfer Protocol (FTP) sites.

What problem was Alan Emtage trying to solve when he created Archie?

Alan Emtage was trying to automate the task of manually searching through a university's catalog of software to assist students and faculty.

How did Archie work in terms of finding files?

Archie searched through FTP sites, which were systems of networked computers that exchanged files. However, it did not allow users to preview the content before downloading.

What was a limitation of Archie compared to modern search engines like Google?

Archie was not very effective at deciphering vague search terms, so users had to be very specific in their queries to avoid irrelevant results.

What came after Archie in the history of search engines?

Two search engines that followed Archie were named Jughead and Veronica.

How did users interact with Archie when trying to find files?

Users would search for terms, but since there was no way to preview the files, they had to download them to their desktops and hope the content matched their needs.

Why did Emtage say he disliked the name Archie?

Alan Emtage disliked the name Archie because he hated the comic book character named Archie.

What cultural events were happening in 1990, the year Archie was created?

In 1990, Mariah Carey had just released her first album, and the TV show 'Twin Peaks' was popular.

How did search engines like Archie pave the way for modern search engines like Google?

Archie introduced the concept of indexing and searching for content online, which was a foundational idea that later evolved into the sophisticated search capabilities of modern search engines like Google.